PN says Ombudsman investigating illegal Comino development

Nationalist MP Robert Cutajar says Environment Commissioner Alan Saliba has informed the Planning Authority and the Environment and Resource Authority that he will be investigating the illegal development  

Photo: Friends of the Earth
Photo: Friends of the Earth

The Nationalist Party has said the Office of the Ombudsman is looking into construction work being carried out on a road leading to Comino’s Blue Lagoon.  

The project, first flagged by independent candidate Arnold Cassola, was halted last month by the Environment and Resource Authority (ERA) due to surrounding damages.  

ERA said that it had ordered the contractor to stop works in the Nature 2000 site.  

In a statement on Monday, the PN said the party’s request to the Ombudsman, to look into the illegal Comino development, had been accepted.  

According to Nationalist MP Robert Cutajar, Environment Commissioner Alan Saliba informed the Planning Authority and ERA that he will be investigating the case. “This confirms that the area is exceptionally sensitive.” 

Saliba has also handed the authorities a week’s deadline to address the issues flagged by himself, the PN said.  

Cutajar also requested the Ombudsman to investigate a number of other projects resulting in “environmental damage” by a number of government entities like Infrastructure Malta and the Water Services Corporation.